I have an Argosy II with limited space antennas. I have managed to put up a 40m dipole, but is only 5 ft off the deck, as there are restrictions.

I was looking at the International Radio IF filters "1800 Hz 9001.5 kHz SSB 8-pole" and the "2100 Hz 9001.5 kHz SSB 8-pole". Has anybody used these? Will they actually help the selectivity with weak signals? What other things will they do for me?

The filters will help if your ability to hear other stations is limited by strong signals onadjacent frequencies. For most of us, other than DX pileups and contests, that isn't often the case. If you are struggling to pick out weak signals between AM BC stations on 40m,the narrower filter will help to reduce the strength of the hetrodynes. But if the limitingfactor is overall noise floor or garbage from the TV next door that is on the samefrequency as the signal you are trying to hear, it won't help.

I have the original Argosy 525 and replaced the stock 4-pole SSB filter with an 8-polefilter. It does help when there is another conversation 3kHz up the band, as I hear lessof it. It doesn't help when the interfering station is only 1kHz away from the station I'mtrying to copy, however, as it is still in the passband either way.

The narrower 1.8kHz filter trims a bit more off the frequency response, and is typicallyadjusted for a little less base response, since those frequencies add little to overallintelligibility. It doesn't sound quite as natural, however.

If your Argosy II already has an 8-pole filter in the IF, then the difference will be smallunless you operate a lot when the band is crowded. If you have a 4-pole filter thenthere will be more of an improvement in reducing interference from adjacent stations.But if the problem in general is that signals are weak because your antenna is poor, thenthe filters don't do much to help that.

I can’t understand why Hams love filters so much. In a contest and wall to wall signals they do help, but can make listening fatiguing. Like driving with the wipers /on when it’s a clear day. I use them rarely, because the pass band is narrow enough on the Argosy. I sure don’t dig out signals any better. Now a better antenna would do just that. Oh want a fun radio and I use a D-104 on mine.

I come from a direction of being an observer for too long. I grew up in V02 country, where propagation was like a wild fire. From a child, my father introduced me to sounds from a heathkit and some radio rescued from a b-52. I never got my license until 92 and my wife did not even know I had one. Since then, I have never been able to put anything up in HF due to restrictions.

This puts me at a steep learning curve with things that clearly makes sense to others. Bare with me.

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